The present invention relates to workflow management, and particularly to a system and method of workflow integrated with a mail platform and web applications.
Workflow is the process of a business procedure, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for related action. Workflow management is an important issue for enterprises. An example of a platform for assisting with workflow management is Lotus Notes which is a mail platform designed for workflow management. An effective workflow improves the efficiency of enterprises, provides for the automation of business processes, and the elimination of many unnecessary steps, thereby strengthening the enterprises' competitive ability.
In addition, several web applications have been developed to solve workflow problems. However, these web applications and the conventional workflow applications are designed independently. The independent design causes participants to have to repeatedly input authentication information to login to the workflow system and to login to the web applications designated by the workflow system.
FIG. 1 shows the process of the conventional workflow operation between a workflow system and web applications.
First, in step S101, a user logins a web application. In step S102, the user performs actions to relate a target, such as a document on the web application. After the actions finish, in step S103, the user performs mechanisms provided by the web application to for example, submit a notification email to an approver via a mail platform of the workflow system, in which the notification email may include information of the identification of the web application, the target, subject, and others. Thereafter, in step S104, the approver logins the mail platform to receive and check the notification email. Afterward, in step S105, the approver logins the web application according to the information of the notification email. In step S106, the approver approves the target on the web application.
In the above practice, the approver has to repeatedly input authentication information to login to the mail platform and the web application. In addition, if the web map (website hierarchy) of the web application is complicated, it is time-consuming for the approver to find the target. Since the mail platform is proprietary and other platforms have their own authentication mechanism, it is difficult to integrate the workflow from the mail platform into web-based applications.